Announcement

Collapse

Forum Rules (Everyone Must Read!!!)

1] What you CAN NOT post.

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this forum to post any material which is:
- abusive
- vulgar
- hateful
- harassing
- personal attacks
- obscene

You also may not:
- post images that are too large (max is 500*500px)
- post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or cited properly.
- post in UPPER CASE, which is considered yelling
- post messages which insult the Armenians, Armenian culture, traditions, etc
- post racist or other intentionally insensitive material that insults or attacks another culture (including Turks)

The Ankap thread is excluded from the strict rules because that place is more relaxed and you can vent and engage in light insults and humor. Notice it's not a blank ticket, but just a place to vent. If you go into the Ankap thread, you enter at your own risk of being clowned on.
What you PROBABLY SHOULD NOT post...
Do not post information that you will regret putting out in public. This site comes up on Google, is cached, and all of that, so be aware of that as you post. Do not ask the staff to go through and delete things that you regret making available on the web for all to see because we will not do it. Think before you post!


2] Use descriptive subject lines & research your post. This means use the SEARCH.

This reduces the chances of double-posting and it also makes it easier for people to see what they do/don't want to read. Using the search function will identify existing threads on the topic so we do not have multiple threads on the same topic.

3] Keep the focus.

Each forum has a focus on a certain topic. Questions outside the scope of a certain forum will either be moved to the appropriate forum, closed, or simply be deleted. Please post your topic in the most appropriate forum. Users that keep doing this will be warned, then banned.

4] Behave as you would in a public location.

This forum is no different than a public place. Behave yourself and act like a decent human being (i.e. be respectful). If you're unable to do so, you're not welcome here and will be made to leave.

5] Respect the authority of moderators/admins.

Public discussions of moderator/admin actions are not allowed on the forum. It is also prohibited to protest moderator actions in titles, avatars, and signatures. If you don't like something that a moderator did, PM or email the moderator and try your best to resolve the problem or difference in private.

6] Promotion of sites or products is not permitted.

Advertisements are not allowed in this venue. No blatant advertising or solicitations of or for business is prohibited.
This includes, but not limited to, personal resumes and links to products or
services with which the poster is affiliated, whether or not a fee is charged
for the product or service. Spamming, in which a user posts the same message repeatedly, is also prohibited.

7] We retain the right to remove any posts and/or Members for any reason, without prior notice.


- PLEASE READ -

Members are welcome to read posts and though we encourage your active participation in the forum, it is not required. If you do participate by posting, however, we expect that on the whole you contribute something to the forum. This means that the bulk of your posts should not be in "fun" threads (e.g. Ankap, Keep & Kill, This or That, etc.). Further, while occasionally it is appropriate to simply voice your agreement or approval, not all of your posts should be of this variety: "LOL Member213!" "I agree."
If it is evident that a member is simply posting for the sake of posting, they will be removed.


8] These Rules & Guidelines may be amended at any time. (last update September 17, 2009)

If you believe an individual is repeatedly breaking the rules, please report to admin/moderator.
See more
See less

AG Movies

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • AG Movies

    Guys, I have a question. See what you think. It’s something that’s been on my mind for a few years now and I think it will be an interesting topic for all of us to sit down and talk about.

    In the past years, I’ve had many chances to act in dramas, dances, plays, etc. and I love writing, reading, and movies. Apart from being good at computers and music, this is one side of me that has developed a lot throughout the years. I’ve always heard about the Genocide, even when I was in different countries, but when I got into Armenian communities, and eventually came back to Armenia to stay this time, during those “Armenian Times”, I began to reflect on everything Armenian, and very heavily on the Genocide. I even got chances to talk about it and introduce it to people who didn’t even know about it. You should’ve seen the looks on their faces. I guess I had my way of capturing people. Anyways, at one point, I begin writing scripts with Armenian themes that would by executed modernly and not in the old fashioned way, especially Sasuntsi Davit which I read in one day. Some kids at school still don’t believe me, , it WAS! a pretty fat book. I could, as I grew up, set up complete movies in my head just from reading or just imagining. I loved it. It seemed like I had my own world, I wouldn’t do anything else at one point.

    Anyways, I took up the subject of the Genocide which is a very difficult subject and began writing my own book and script but in a totally different way. My heart ached every time the Genocide came to mind and it sort of became like a life’s pursuit to throw a different light on it. Sounds familiar? Believe it or not, I’m still working on it till now. It may come out, it may not, I don’t really care, but I can’t let go of it.

    I’ve seen tons of movies, read tons of articles, but all the movies I’ve seen so far have either briefly touched upon the events of 1915, have been documental films, OR have been Armenian films that I would watch hungrily for the hundredth time although they can't stand next to the movies currently being made. Not all will appreciate them. Armenian movies have always been mature to me, much more mature then Hollywood movies. You learn more in one Armenian movie then you could by watching a hundred Hollywood movies, not that I don’t like them though, their like two different genres. I watched Ararat but it didn’t quench my thirst from both a movie’s perspective or a movie that was supposed shed great light upon our past. It did, to some extent, but it didn’t have the Armenian feel, if you know what I mean. It seemed more like an American tale, if you know what I mean. Many have tried but I’ve realized that only Armenian’s and Armenian directors have been able to give our past what it deserves and from an Armenian point of view.

    So, here I am. The script or story I’ve come up with is a long one, not your average 1 – 1:30 hour movie. At least it seems very long. I don’t think one hour is enough to depict the Genocide. By nature, I’m a modern guy but history is one of my bright sides. Throw me in a museum and I might never come out, haha. I designed a plot that I think could really go with the standards of Hollywood. I think one movie in a modern fashion could rock the world. Many countries and people in the world don’t even know we exist. Sometimes my friends didn’t even know my country existed. I was from … nowhere … sometimes. I was already searching the maps for Armenia at one point . What’s been going on right now is basically all documental but not really movies. Ararat, Artuitneri Agaraku, and a few old movies, good or bad, could be called MOVIES but I don’t think any could go with the modern flow. I think what we need to do, not necessarily me, who the hell am I, but Armenians with modern imaginations need to take the Genocide further not as a documental movie, that’s gone too far, but as a powerful blast of fresh air. Look at Troy, look at 300, one of the best examples, look at ANY movie nowadays; we have the power to make what we need. 300 was such a simple tale and they turned it into a daredevil. Now all we need to do is to harness that power. My best hopes right now is Sylvester Stallone who MIGHT make “The Forty Days of Musa Dagh” which I am truly looking forward to. I just hope he doesn’t turn it into a Rambo movie or anything hahahaha.

    OKAAYYY, my question, finally, sorry for making this so long. It seems every time I write a post it turns into a book. I was wondering, would a movie on the Genocide need to be based completely on true facts? I’ve given the story a modern flow and a story that leaves you clueless until the very last second of the movie which doesn’t revolve around only 1915 but the present, as well. There is fiction though, believable fiction of course but would it be okay to mix that with the Genocide since it’s such a subtle subject? I think the most important thing is to prove that it happened and some fiction won’t turn it upside down. I think it would make it more appealing if done in the proper way, all the same, of course. It’s actually broken into two parts. The second part is based on true facts 95% of the time (in my own way) to end the “saga” with the truth rather then with fiction. It continues from a point where the first left off ending it properly so people don’t say it was all “fiction”. My main question is basically if that’s ok and what you think or how you would perceive a movie like that. A new approach is required. Books were a great ways to entertain people but times have changed. Movies are huge now. Me, and I think all of us, want the Armenian movie industry to blossom. Nice dream, isn’t it? They have more potential then we all think no doubt about it. New times are coming. Here’s to the bright ones.
    THE ROAD TO FREEDOM AND JUSTICE IS A LONG ONE!

  • #2
    Once upon a time (the time being 1915) there was a little white Van Cat...
    Plenipotentiary meow!

    Comment


    • #3
      ...with one eye blue, and the other amber.
      Plenipotentiary meow!

      Comment


      • #4
        The first eye was for seeing, the other for dreaming.
        Plenipotentiary meow!

        Comment


        • #5
          I'd like it if it were as factual and "real" as possible. The film would have to be in Ottoman Armenian and Ottoman Turkish, not English with a fake Eastern European or Middle Eastern accent as heard in many Holocaust films.

          There are quite a few books on the genocide that have not yet been made into films. There were plans to bring the book Three Apples Fell from Heaven to the screen. There is also Edgar Hilsenrath's book and Antonia Arslan's Skylark Farm was made into a film recently, though it was not well received.

          By the way, is there a definitive book on the Armenian Genocide yet? I mean a chronological account of what happened? And please don't suggest the disappointing Dadrian book.

          Comment


          • #6
            How about an adventure movie on the ancient conflicts between Armenians and Assyrians? Or a modern day love story between an Armenian and a Turk? Anything to steer the pot and get people talking about Armenians. Entertainment business, this is the most powerful propaganda tool you could ever utilize; only fools would disregard it.

            Saco you asked “would a movie on the Genocide need to be based completely on true facts?” Hell no, give it spice. In fact the Genocide should not be the topic of the movie at all. It can be included strategically instead of dwelling on it. You are on to something; as long as the movie is made to Hollywood standards it can do a lot of good to the Armenian people. Sheers

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by chinchilla View Post
              By the way, is there a definitive book on the Armenian Genocide yet? I mean a chronological account of what happened? And please don't suggest the disappointing Dadrian book.
              Look in the "Bool Review" section here, I think you'll find critiques placed here are as good/bad as anywhere, but a healthy amount of books. My personal choice would be Hayk Ghazarian's.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by bell-the-cat View Post
                The first eye was for seeing, the other for dreaming.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi guys, glad to hear from all of you again. Just wondering why the posts are so late? If it’s because my posts are too long, haha, I know, I really do write a book instead of posts sometimes. Sorry.

                  Well, where should I start? Bell, nice post(s), it gave me a few laughs, haha, nice.

                  Chinchilla, thanks for your view. That’s just what I was afraid of. Actually, here’s what I was thinking, the movie was going to be both in English, Turkish, AND Armenian with very clear subtitles. THEN, after it comes out, the movie could be completely translated into different languages. I thought of an interesting way to give the movie a voice, it’s just one of the options. At times, the movie is in clear, understandable Armenian and at times, it’s in English. You know, like when people learn a new language, they ask what the translation of a word in English would be and they learn that way slowly, slowly. In the movie, you hear many words many times so I wanted to give the audience a feeling like they are the Armenians and so it won’t seem like a foreign country. Two – three hours of Armenian with subtitles could make a person feel a bit awkward like they aren’t part of the movie. Another option is the “SWITCH” method. The movie starts with Armenians talking in Armenian and then fading into English from then on. There are many things we can do, what do you think? Let’s get a bit active here. I think English would be best though, not Armenian because the world won’t be in the movie as much as we would like.

                  Considering books, guys, no offense, but I’m writing my own and adding LOT’S and LOT’S of facts along with considerable fiction as well. That’s what I’m here to talk about. The Skylark Farm was a drama, I felt like the Spanish were going through a mass killing (God forbid). I didn’t feel like I was in Armenia, it felt unrealistic but it gave me great ideas. I say it again, only Armenians can talk about their past with feeling, other countries just try to copy that. It’s like if an Armenian puts a mustache on and plays Hitler out in a movie. There were no Armenians almost in the Skylark movie, surprising. I also look for a chronological book on the Genocide, it’s really needed. I want as much fact in my book as fiction, if not completely fact.

                  Edoman Jan, great to talk to you again, I thought you got upset and wouldn’t reply, haha.

                  How about an adventure movie on the ancient conflicts between Armenians and Assyrians? Or a modern day love story between an Armenian and a Turk?
                  I despise bragging, bro, but I think I’ve come up with a never before seen story. Not your average love story. My “MOVIE”, hahaha, I’m embarrassed, is set in three different timelines, 1915, 1990, and our present day. The movie tells three stories but they are so close to each other and have such a GREAT connection that you immediately fall into the Armenian head space. You understand how it all started, what happened after that (Soviet Union), and what is going on now. Most movies barely tell one story, this one says three and very carefully with as much feeling in every scene. There is heart in every scene, not just one. It takes sometimes months to just come up with one shot. Quality is more important then quantity, hands down.

                  Anything to steer the pot and get people talking about Armenians. Entertainment business, this is the most powerful propaganda tool you could ever utilize; only fools would disregard it.
                  You read my mind.

                  Saco you asked “would a movie on the Genocide need to be based completely on true facts?” Hell no, give it spice. In fact the Genocide should not be the topic of the movie at all. It can be included strategically instead of dwelling on it. You are on to something; as long as the movie is made to Hollywood standards it can do a lot of good to the Armenian people. Sheers
                  Edoman Jan, the fact is that I would love to. I have wonderful plots and movies that are being worked out on paper now and in my head but the fact is that many people don’t know who we are until they do, no one will feel so great watching it. This movie is a bundle package telling our story in a complete way and in a way that I hope will grab lot’s and lot’s of attention, maybe even an Oscar. Not just the Genocide. There is love, there is the wiping out of a civilization, there is Armenians that turned Turkish, there is defeat, there is victory, there is truth, lies, deceit, faith, religion, and many, many subjects placed in one sweet package. They all coincide but the main story revolves around the future and the Genocide. In fact, the two complete each other. Don’t try to figure it out, you won’t be able to. Anyways, it’s my own book but I’m a very heavy script writer and I’m afraid I might exaggerate a bit. The movie doesn’t dwell ONLY on the Genocide, that’s why it’s so cool. Those that just stick to one subject really become boring that’s why I took a new approach.

                  Steph, I’ll check out Hayk’s book since you offer it and guys, let’s get more active on the forums. Tell you what, I’ll cut my posts short and you guys get more active.
                  THE ROAD TO FREEDOM AND JUSTICE IS A LONG ONE!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Saco View Post
                    only Armenians can talk about their past with feeling, other countries just try to copy that.
                    This sounds a bit racist to me.

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X